In the art, devices that generally function to provide a wire about an article are known.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,504 describes an apparatus that includes a mechanism for forming a U-shaped loop of a tying wire, a mechanism for guiding the U-shaped loop to wind it around an external surface of a portion of an article to be tied, a mechanism for twisting the closed end and the other end of the U-shaped loop, and a mechanism for cutting the tying wire at an appropriate time to an appropriate length.
By way of further example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,970 describes an automatic knot-tying device for tying a discrete knot about an article, such as a bundle of wires. The device functions by pulling a filament transversely around the article and includes a hand-held housing and a knot-tying mechanism within that housing comprised of a hollow nozzle for leading the filament toward the article, a wrapping ring for wrapping the filament around the article, and a plurality of pins that extend into and retract out of the path of the filament to form the knot. The operation is finished by cinching and cutting the loose filament so that the resulting knot is discrete and secure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,378 also describes an automatic knot-tying device for tying a discrete knot about an article, such as a bundle of wires. The device works by pulling a filament, such as the FAA-approved lace, transversely around the article. The device includes a hand-held housing and a knot-tying mechanism within that housing comprised of a plurality of carriage rings, for wrapping the filament around the article, at least one shuttle for moving the filament between the carriage rings and along the article at the appropriate steps, and a plurality of hooks for pulling the filament away from the article at the appropriate steps. The operation is finished by cinching, cutting, and reloading so that the resulting knot is discrete and secure.
While the devices described in these publications, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, generally work for their intended purpose, the following describes an improved knot tying device and cartridge system for providing tying filament thereto.